The waves surged, and the salty scent assailed Ariel, threatening to engulf him entirely.
He didn't even have time to ponder whether the splendid boat that suddenly appeared was friend or foe, as the roar of the Red Gyarados behind him already made his eardrums ache.
That wasn't an ordinary roar, but a furious bellow mixed with pure killing intent, stirring up unrest throughout the entire sea.
However, before Ariel could react, a cerulean figure shot out from the direction of the boat, like an arrow released from a bowstring, cutting through layers of waves.
Ariel's pupils suddenly constricted.
So fast!
The figure carved a straight white wake on the sea, its target clear: his exact location.
A new enemy?
What hornet's nest have I poked, to be attacked from both sides again?
Will this ever end!
A myriad of thoughts flashed through Ariel's mind, and he even began to reflect on whether he had forgotten to check the almanac before going out recently.
Repeatedly surrounded, he was getting tired of overthinking.
The idea of simply having Mewtwo flatten the place even crossed his mind.
Just as he was bracing himself for a new round of impact, the cerulean figure made an unexpected move.
It actually swept past him, the gust of wind it generated even ruffling his hair.
Immediately after, a deep purple energy orb rapidly gathered in its mouth, and a dangerous energy fluctuation permeated the air.
Kingdra!
Ariel was startled, and this Kingdra's target was none other than the Red Gyarados relentlessly pursuing him!
"Roar!"
Dragon Pulse!
A purple beam, condensed to its extreme, shot forth from its mouth. There were no superfluous sound or light effects, only pure destructive power, which slammed into the Red Gyarados with an unstoppable momentum.
The Red Gyarados had not anticipated an ambush from the side. Its massive body was already inconvenient to turn in the sea, and facing this sudden attack, it couldn't even dodge.
"Boom—!"
The energy beam struck its midsection squarely, emitting a dull, thunderous sound.
The violent Dragon-type energy instantly exploded. The Red Gyarados let out a painful wail, its massive body, as if hit by a giant hammer, uncontrollably tumbled into the sea, stirring up monstrous waves.
Ariel stumbled, thrown off balance by the wave, his mind in turmoil.
So strong!
The power of this single blow had directly dealt a heavy blow to that Gyarados!
The sea churned. The defeated Red Gyarados angrily re-emerged from the water, its crimson scales looking even more ferocious under the wash of the sea. Its brutal eyes stared fixedly at the Kingdra hovering in mid-air, clearly infuriated by this sneak attack.
The Kingdra, however, ignored its rage. It simply turned its body, standing firmly in front of Ariel, its sharp eyes coldly confronting the Red Gyarados. The protective intent was unmistakable.
Ariel was completely bewildered.
Whose Pokémon is this? Why is it protecting me? When did I get acquainted with such a powerful figure?
The Red Gyarados let out a low growl, clearly preparing to counterattack recklessly, but it was stopped by Shelly's voice from the Speedboat.
Shelly didn't look at the standoff in the arena. His eyes narrowed slightly, his gaze passing over the Kingdra and falling upon the luxurious yacht in the distance, which was entirely white and ornately decorated.
"Sister Shelly,"
he said, turning to Shelly beside him,
"This boat... looks a bit familiar."
Shelly didn't answer immediately. Her gaze also fell on the boat, and after a moment, slowly shifted to Ariel in the water, her eyes complex.
"I didn't expect this brat to have such connections."
Shelly's voice trembled slightly, with a hint of undetectable apprehension, "Matt, let's retreat."
"Matt, let's retreat."
"Retreat?"
Matt was stunned for a moment, somewhat unwilling, "But we were so close..."
"I told you to retreat!"
Shelly suddenly raised her voice, her tone a command that brooked no argument.
Matt recoiled, saying no more. After all, Shelly was the boss.
Shelly's fists were clenched tightly at her sides, her fingernails almost digging into her flesh.
She glared fiercely at Ariel, as if to engrave his image into her bones.
Last time, it was this brat, with his companions, who utterly defeated the team she led, wiping out all their Pokémon.
But that time, Shelly didn't feel any pain.
Because those Pokémon were merely tools uniformly distributed by the organization; if they died, she could just get new ones.
But this time was different!
This time, she had lost her direct subordinates, whom she had painstakingly cultivated with countless efforts and resources!
The Tentacool that was sliced apart was her core for controlling vast Tentacruel swarms; given time, it could have caused a disaster at sea.
The Tentacruel torn apart by Gyarados was her most capable attacker, just one step away from Quasi-Elite Four Level.
And her ace, Sharpedo, was now severely injured and on the verge of death.
Any one of these three Pokémon would be enough to make countless Trainers envious, and they were crucial forces for her to achieve Team Aqua's grand ideals in the future.
Now, two were dead, and the only remaining one was greatly weakened.
For her, this was no less than losing an arm!
This hatred was bone-deep!
Shelly closed her eyes. When she opened them again, the madness and venom in them had been forcefully suppressed, replaced by cold rationality.
She knew what that boat represented.
Getting into a conflict with the owner of that boat, let alone revenge, whether the two of them could leave this sea alive today was questionable.
"We still have a mission. Once we get the item, Team Aqua will surely be invincible, and then we'll settle scores with these guys!"
Shelly said coldly. Although she was furious now, she didn't let anger cloud her judgment.
She knew that the mission was paramount now.
"Sister Shelly is right! By then, all of Hoenn will be prostrate at Team Aqua's feet!"
"Go!"
Matt dared not object further and immediately gave the retreat order to the Red Gyarados.
Although the brutal beast was unwilling, it obeyed its Trainer's command. Its massive body submerged, creating a huge current that shielded the Speedboat as it rapidly departed.
A life-threatening crisis was thus inexplicably resolved.
Ariel floated in the water, looking at the retreating figures of the two Team Aqua Executives, his mind a blur.
The sea breeze blew, carrying the chill of having survived a disaster.
He turned his head, looking at the Kingdra still guarding him, and then at the splendid yacht slowly approaching him.
Who exactly could scare two fierce Team Aqua Executives into fleeing in terror with just a boat?
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